Temporary Goodbyes
by GroovyViewbie
Summary: They'd made a promise to each other now all Sam has to do is figure out how to reach for his dreams while keeping that promise. A spiritual sequel to We Have Got Some Catching Up To Do/season five canon divergence. Rated T for mentions and reactions to canon character death.


**A/N:** This is a kind of spiritual sequel to my first Samcedes story. You don't have to read it to fully understand this one but there's some canon divergence based on my previous story. Thanks to everyone who has read We've Got Some Catching Up To Do, it's really inspired me to continue here. So here is my take on Samcedes in the first half of season five, prior to Sam's graduation, warning for reactions to The Quarterback.

* * *

Mercedes had moved back to LA a few weeks later. They'd had another brief fling, just like the summer before but they knew they couldn't keep it up. Still, she promised to visit, promised that when she did, she'd make time for him, whether it was romantically or just as his best friend he didn't care, he just knew he needed to see her. It would be easy to slip again without her around, return to his patterns of easy distractions, chasing another girl to keep him busy. With graduation looming, something felt different. He had plans now, a future to aspire towards and he was excited about that. A future that he was sure would heavily feature one Ms Mercedes Jones.

It didn't take long for her to return to Lima. She stood on the stairs of Dalton while he stood beside Blaine, their eyes finding each other more than either of them would care to admit. Sam watched her on the stairs as Blaine spoke, his focus drifting from Blaine's speech towards Mercedes, thinking about what he would say to her in this situation. He didn't have a speech prepared but he knew if he proposed anytime soon her answer wouldn't be the yes Kurt was giving now, not yet anyway.

After Kurt said yes, they all decided to go to Breadstix to celebrate, Sam finding himself hanging back as they all caught up. He wanted to join in but seeing how successful everyone was, from Santana's commercial to Rachel's Broadway breakthrough, his art aspirations felt small. He pushed his salad leaves around his plate, noticing a handful of fries had been placed on his plate. He looked up to see Mercedes shrugging, offering her a small smile as thanks.

"Then they sang to me and it was so sweet. I'm going with Sam which is perfect because I think I'm the only original glee girl he hasn't made out with. Wait, he hasn't made out with Rachel either, but I think he's pretty much the only guy who hasn't. Does Dalton have a prom?" As Tina spoke to Trent and Nick, Sam felt a pit open up inside of him, his eyes instantly turning to Mercedes. He knew to anyone else it wouldn't be that big a deal but he'd made a promise to her. He didn't want her thinking that he was dating Tina.

She excused herself, not ready to hear his explanation now. If he wanted to move on with Tina then that was his prerogative. It wasn't even like they were dating so it was ridiculous for her to be so upset about him taking someone else to prom. Deep down she knew that, but it didn't stop her from sitting outside Breadstix, biting hard on her bottom lip to try and stop the tears.

When the door beside her opened, she expected to see the blonde, so she didn't look up, ready to hear his grovelling apology about breaking their promise. "Sam, I don't want to hear it right now."

"I'm sorry Mercedes. I thought he wasn't seeing anyone, that's what Blaine said. I wouldn't have chosen him as my pity date if I knew you guys were together again." Tina took a seat beside her, linking her arm with the other girls, selfishly wanting to return inside so as not to miss anything.

"We aren't dating. We kind of had a few weeks there over spring break but I went back to LA. I don't know why it got to me, I guess prom has always kind of been our thing you know?" Mercedes looked over to Tina, her words dawning on her a moment too late. "Wait a pity date?"

"Yeah, if you'd been listening and not undressing Sam in your mind, you would've heard the part about Sam, Blaine and Ryder taking pity on me. I would be embarrassed if I wasn't positive Sam is going to be nominated for King, so I gain popularity by association." Tina shrugged, kicking her feet back and forth. "Now can we go back inside? I think Nick has a serious thing for me."

Mercedes shook her head as she laughed, following Tina back to their table. She glanced briefly over to Sam, noticing the smug smile he was wearing on his face. She slid back into the booth beside him, taking back some of the fries from his plate. "Don't even."

Sam couldn't help but laugh, pulling her in for a quick hug, kissing the top of her head as an apology before he remembered where he was. He pulled back, looking around the table to see that everyone was busy amongst themselves, not taking notice of the two of them.

"Are you staying in town tonight? Maybe after this, you can come over? I've been working with inks recently and I have a print with your name on." Sam inched ever so slightly closer to her, resting his hand on the small of her back now he was sure nobody was watching.

"I have a redeye back home tonight. You know I would but I have work in the morning." She finished her soda, wishing desperately that she could just fall back into the familiar, go to Sam's house and look over his art, lay together and catch up.

"You really can't skip work? Lacey owes you right, she could cover for you. Just for one day?" He knew he sounded like a jackass the minute he said it but he knew it was worth a shot. Even though he'd been part of Blaine's plan, seeing her was always a different story. He believed that everyone had one person for them and for him, there was no denying it was Mercedes. She had refused for that night but promised that next time she was around, she'd make time to check out his new work.

Only next time she came, there was no time for art. No casual flirting or catching up. Just hurt. Hurt that she couldn't fix no matter how long she held him, no matter how many tears he shed in her arms. He was gone and no amount of singing could fix that. A part of him knew he had to stay strong, for the current glee club, a few tears at the funeral but a strong front in glee club. At home however, he was free to let it out, he didn't have to stay strong around her or explain his pain. When she was there, he didn't talk and she talked almost too much, whispering comforts to him as he lay his head in her lap, her fingers running through his hair as his tears stained her jeans.

She stayed longer than most, not having the same commitments as the others but she was still gone too soon. She didn't admit it, never had to, he knew she'd stayed for him, to make sure he was okay. He couldn't lie to her, yet he still found himself putting on a brave face, telling her he would be fine. It was as far from the truth as he could be.

Nurse Penny had been him at his lowest. He should have listened to Marley's concerns about her costumes, should have thought about someone other than himself. It had been so easy to focus on something other than the pain he'd been feeling that he hadn't thought about the pain he was inflicting. Their weekly Skype call consisted mostly of Sam avoiding the subject until Mercedes called him out on it. The truth came spilling out, about Nurse Penny, how he'd treated Marley, pretending to be someone else to impress a girl he didn't even like all that much. He felt like a child spilling the truth about eating the last cookie. Once he started he couldn't stop.

"We wouldn't have even been together you know? If it wasn't for him. I love music and stuff but, I wouldn't have joined Glee club on my own and no offence, but I don't really see a world in which we would have even talked outside of glee." It was the first time he'd properly talked about it, the root of his pain. Avoiding talking about tragedy seemed to be his go-to method of coping. After everything that had happened that week, avoidance felt futile now.

"Sam don't say that. I can deal with you having feelings for someone else, making mistakes, but the point is that you did join glee club. We talked and we are friends, more than friends. I know it's been hard for you, Finn was like a brother to you, even after the whole Quinn thing, but you can't think like that. He was part of your life; you did join glee club. You can't get caught up with what ifs and what could be." If she could reach through the screen and pull him into the biggest hug imaginable, she would. Watching him grieve had been hard, especially when she had been grieving too, but being apart from him when that grief was still there was near impossible. Moments like this reminded her why long-distance wasn't an option for them because all she wanted to do was jump on a plane she couldn't afford back to Lima to be with him. "You've got to look to the future Sam."

She was right of course, she was always right, but taking her advice was easier said than done. What if he needed his guidance and now, he wasn't here to give it? What if he missed out on important things he was supposed to do? Kurt had always been better at life advice, but it was Finn who had understood where he was coming from. They were similar in so many ways. Any problems Sam had been going through, Finn had probably been through himself. Now he'd lost that and it wasn't easy to just forget.

"Right. It's just my future isn't as easy to picture anymore." He couldn't look at her, his eyes fixed on his keyboard, Looking at her meant seeing her disappointment and that wasn't something he could handle. "I don't think that art is my way forward. I applied for some of those scholarships for drama but I already know I won't get them. Maybe Brittany was right, I should just focus on what I'm good at." He heard Stacey calling up the stairs that dinner was ready, relieved that he had an out now. "I should go. Talk soon?" He barely heard her goodbye as he closed his laptop, knowing that he'd receive multiple texts that night checking up on him. He also knew he'd ignore them until the morning when he'd be thinking clearer.

Flunking his interview at Hunter College had been embarrassing more than anything. He'd been completely unprepared even after Mercedes had helped him in the weeks leading up to it. Mr Schue's speech had stuck with him, a career in the arts was impractical. Mercedes had been struggling in LA even if things were looking better for her now, Blaine was looking at other options. The one thing he did know was that New York felt like home, with his friends all together, well almost all together. It was the most at home he'd felt in a while. So what if being a model wasn't his dream, it was probably more realistic than art anyway. Not every dream could come true.

The photoshoot had been fun. If that was his future, it wasn't all that bad. Modelling would let him travel the world and it was a form of art, he'd be living his dream in a way. Besides, if girls looked at him the way Rachel had back in that room, it couldn't be all that bad. He knew Kurt had been hinting that they had chemistry but moving on with Rachel Berry definitely wasn't the plan. If long-distance was going to work with anyone, it would be with the one person he loved more than anything in the world.

After the impromptu karaoke at the loft, he found himself in Central Park, his sketchbook burning a hole in his backpack as he walked around the city. It hadn't been that long ago when they'd been here, sneaking out of their hotel room to get lunch together, hiding from Mr Schue and the other glee club members. They'd had a picnic there together, Sam insisting on having lunch together with Mercedes insisting that she would pay. It had been the best first non-date date that he'd ever been on, albeit the only non-date first date he'd ever been on. He took a seat on a bench, thinking back to that day, how much everything had changed since the last time he'd been here. They'd lost Nationals but he'd felt like he'd won, sitting with her and Kurt on the way back, stealing glances with each other when Kurt had been distracted.

They had their first official date a week later when Mercedes came over to the Motel room. He'd been hesitant about it but he'd also known there wasn't a world where he could take her to dinner and a movie like he had before with Quinn. As it turned out, there was a lot of fun to be had in the motel room. Mercedes had bought over some old movie he'd never seen before about Princesses and Pirates, he'd scraped together enough spare money from the Dairy Queen to put together a buffet of snacks. Even when Stevie and Stacey had interrupted it hadn't been bad. Mercedes was good with them, keeping them in check when they got a little too wild but keeping an air of fun in the room. Stacey had complained for a week until Mercedes returned, insisting on watching The Princess Bride again.

Reminiscing made him pull his phone out, dialling the only number he was familiar with these days. She answered on the second ring, a smile spreading on his face as he heard her voice, his meeting at Bitchette long forgotten as he heard the excitement in her voice. "Sony music Sam. Not as a backing vocalist either. I'm a fully fledged artist working on my own terms. But wait, how did you know to call me? Oh my god, your interview I'm so sorry, how did it go?"

Sam processed her news quickly, unable to hide the pride from his face as it sunk in. "My interview doesn't matter. You got a recording contract? That's amazing Mercedes. I can't believe it. Well no, that's not true, of course I can believe it. You're insanely talented and I'm so proud of you." He stood up, making his way towards the subway, wanting to hear more about her news instead of relieving the past. Hearing her news solidified it for him, she had a new life and he wasn't a part of it.

"Thanks Sam. You're actually the first person I've told. I mean obviously it's not like I'll be winning Grammy's anytime soon-"

"Lies Mercedes Jones." He interrupted quickly.

"But this is a pretty big deal. Speaking of which, why is Kurt messaging to say there is a new couple about to emerge? He hasn't broken off the engagement with Blaine already has he?"

Sam sighed, considering the two hour walk to Bushwick in order to calm himself down. Kurt and his big mouth. "He seems to think me and Rachel have something going on. Which we don't, we really really don't. I mean after I blew my interview she helped me out, and that was pretty cool. I think she's just pretty lonely here and I'm the first straight guy who's been around in a while. Plus seeing me in my underwear is pretty irresistible right?"

Mercedes couldn't fully comprehend what she was hearing. Somehow in a few weeks Sam seemed to completely revert to the guy he'd been earlier in the year. The guy with no vision, chasing girls who he had no real interest in, focusing on his looks more than his talent. "Sam I-"

"Oh I didn't mean, it was just like Rocky Horror you remember? We did dress rehearsals together. If I'm remembering correctly you got pretty into it." In truth, it had been him who was pretty into it. Seeing Mercedes in costume, singing to him about how she could make him a man, it had got his blood flowing in all of the wrong places, especially when he was in dress rehearsals. It was the first time he'd really taken notice of her, but he was dating Quinn and she was just playing a character, that hadn't been Mercedes. It wasn't until a few months later, when he took her to prom, that he realised she was so much more than that.

"You remember that all wrong. I was sexy as hell, you were adjusting those shorts more times than you should have. Now do you mind telling me why the hell Rachel Berry is seeing you in your underwear?" She knew she sounded bitter, but she was pretty sure she had a right to be. Rachel always took away her spotlight, which included taking everyone away from her too. In their senior year, Kurt had gone from one of her closest friends to Rachel Berry's 'best gay', she was close with Quinn after living with her for months, then she was burying the hatchet with Rachel and getting hurt in the process. Even Santana, who definitely hated Mercedes less than Rachel, had decided to move to New York to live with her. Losing Sam to her would be the ultimate loss. She wasn't sure if she believed in soulmates, thinking the concept was a little narrow minded, but if anyone was that for her it was Sam.

"She came with me for a photo shoot. I've been building my portfolio to take to modelling agencies." He could hear the anger radiating through her silence. He held his breath in anticipation of her anger, feeling like a naughty schoolboy who had been caught passing notes in class.

"Oh. Is that what will make you happy?" Mercedes kept her tone calm, unable to muster the strength to convince him this was a mistake. Moments ago she'd been so excited. She had her future and once he graduated, they were going to be together, pursuing their dreams. Now he was going to move on to New York without her, he'd be a model and forget his other dreams, his real passions, probably forget her too with all of the attention he'd get. If that's what he wanted, who was she to deny it?

When the verbal beatdown didn't come, the usual anger followed by the nurturing pep talk about how he was capable of more, he didn't know how to feel. "I think so, I'm good even if Miss Bitchette doesn't think so."

"Then I'm happy for you Sam. I have to go, I should probably tell my parents the good news." She didn't wait for a goodbye, hanging up the phone before he could tell her how proud he was again. Long distance romance was hard but long distance friendship with the man she loved was near impossible.

Her question weighed on his mind the entire walk back to Bushwick. His feet had carried him the entire two hours, his mind occupied on whether this was the right call. Modelling was the easy route. He'd be happy enough in New York, knowing she was living her dream would be enough for him. When he got back to the loft, he sunk into the couch, wanting to nap and forget about the entire day.

Unfortunately, staying in an apartment with four other people made privacy impossible. "There you are Sam. We were worried about you. Where have you been?" Blaine sat beside him as he spoke, grabbing the remote to turn on the TV.

"I just went for a walk. Needed to clear my head. It wasn't that hard." He laughed, the sound hollow, his eyes fixed on the television screen. He tried putting on the brave face, tried being his usual cheery self but he couldn't bring himself to put on a smile.

Blaine was about to ask about in when Kurt piped up from the kitchen. "Well you made it back just in time. I made your favourite." Sam turned around in his seat, eyes brightening ever so slightly. "Since your mentos and water diet is officially over, sloppy joes for you. I also made grilled chicken and salad, mostly for Rachel but if you want to go healthy, the option is there."

Sam jumped up, grabbing a plate and taking a seat at the table. He dug in, having not realised how hungry he was until that moment. He smiled to Rachel as she took a seat opposite him, barely listening as she talked about rehearsals for Funny Girl. It wasn't until Kurt piped in that he tuned back into the conversation. "Has anyone heard from Mercedes recently?"

"Do we even know what she's up to these days? I know she had an album in the works but that doesn't seem to be going anywhere." Sam could hear the tone in her voice as Rachel spoke, a wave of anger bubbling over the surface that he barely managed to contain.

"Actually she just signed a deal with Sony Records. She's going to have full creative control. If it's anything like the album she made herself, it's going to win all the Grammy's." He took a bite from his sloppy joe, smug smile firmly on his face.

"Seriously? That's amazing." Blaine said, not questioning why Sam was the first to know.

Santana took a seat at the head of the table, smiling to herself as she watched Rachel's face fall. She thought she'd covered it up but nothing got passed Santana. It was the perfect opportunity to knock her down a peg. Although she'd somehow been getting along with Rachel, cracks were beginning to show between the two of them. She turned to Sam, a smug smile on her face.

"Wow Trouty, I didn't realise you and Wheezy were still trying to keep up the worlds least discreet secret relationship, especially not when just a few hours ago you were giving Berry unbearable bedroom eyes. Yet here we are, you jumping to defend your ex and totally not current girlfriend to the girl you're probably going to sleep with tonight because she's desperate and the only glee girl you haven't made out with." Santana shrugged, stabbing a lettuce leaf with her fork, letting her words resonate around the room.

She couldn't quite put her finger on where her bitterness was coming from. It probably had something to do with the lasting resentment she had for Sam after the whole Brittany thing. Maybe a little jealousy about two of her former classmates finding success where she was struggling. "Now I have plans, so I can't stay for dinner but let Mercy know I'm happy for her, if not slightly bitter." As Santana left, the group watched her, Kurt and Blaine both struggling to lift their jaws from the ground.

Sam was the one to break the silence. "I actually uh, I haven't made out with Tina either. Just for the record."

That remained true for three whole weeks. Nothing had happened with Rachel in New York but he found himself with Tina at the lock in. He'd managed to sneak away from playing twister with Becky. He'd made his way to the art classroom, his phone heavy in his hands. They hadn't talked for a few weeks, Mercedes too busy with her album to make it to their Skype dates. Even if she missed a Skype, she made sure to check in with a text, it just didn't feel the same. Which is why he found himself sat on a table in the art room, dialling her number, listening to her tell him to leave a message after the beep.

"Mercedes, hey. Sam here. I know you know that. So I've been thinking about the whole being happy thing and you were right. Modelling won't make me happy, but it will make me money for a while so I think I need to do it. Nothing happened with me and Rachel. I don't know if that's why you've been avoiding me. We'll be heading to Nationals in LA, I thought maybe we could meet up? If you have time. I just really miss you Mercedes and I lo… oh hey Tina, you managed to get away?" He hung up the phone, his shoulders slumping slightly as Tina took a seat beside him.

"Blainey days can handle Becky for a while. You okay?" She looked up to Sam, offering him a comforting smile.

"Yeah, epic senior lock in Cohen-Chang." He nudged her with his shoulder gently, not wanting to see her cry again because he was dealing with his own problems instead of enjoying their senior tradition. "And you look great tonight. You know you're the only girl I haven't had any sexual tension with?"

Tina laughed, her eyes focusing on Sam. Clearly he wasn't okay and now he was completely changing the conversation, she was a little worried. Sure she wasn't super close with Sam, not like she was with Artie or Blaine, but they almost went to prom together and in their last few weeks of senior year, they'd been getting closer. "That's because I was with Mike and you were chasing Mercedes. Plus we would be terrible together."

Sam nodded, knowing she was right, but he needed a distraction. "You wanna make out? It might be our last chance." As he spoke, Sam wiggled his eyebrows towards her, inching closer towards her.

They had been caught pretty soon after that and it had been for the best. Tina wasn't the girl for him and he wasn't the boy for her. They didn't even have to discuss it, they both just knew it in their hearts.

They were in LA for Nationals before he knew it. When she walked through the doors, he'd had to laugh as he saw the fake dog she was carrying around, hoping to God she wasn't serious about it. They barely had time for a quick hello before Mr Schue was rushing them to their rooms.

Nationals went by in a whirlwind. One minute they were sneaking onto the stage for a midnight rehearsal and the next thing he knew, he was sitting in the wings, his leg bouncing nervously as he heard the others celebrating their performance. He felt a hand on his shoulder, expecting to see Mr Schue, pleasantly surprised to see Mercedes stood beside him. "Hey."

"You were great out there Sam. He would be so proud of you." She pulled him into her arms before he could say anything, already knowing what he needed. She could see Mr Schue approaching them, shaking her head towards him. She could handle this. "There's some time before placements are announced, why don't we go and get some celebratory pie?"

Sam pulled back, wiping his tears away. Pie sounded great, especially pie joined with a Mercedes Jones catch up. "Pie sounds good."

Mercedes took his hand as they made their way out of the auditorium, partly as a comforting gesture but mostly because she'd missed him. She knew a great diner nearby with the best blueberry pie. This was what she wanted, the two of them hand in hand, walking towards her favourite diner, no more complications. "The ponytail looks good."

Sam felt his lips twitch up; glad it had been Mercedes who was there to comfort him. The only other person who could have managed it would have been Carol, but he knew she had her demons to fight. "Well I was going to be a model, but then some guy offered me another job after his retirement. See I told him about this amazing girl that I planned to marry once I got some money together. That's when he told me his secret, he was not the real Dread Pirate Roberts-"

Mercedes laughter cut him off, the sweet sound that made him weak. It was the stuff of fairytales, the sort of thing that a prince would say about his princess. "I got the reference Sam. You don't have to recite the entire movie for me to see the resemblance. Although I don't think Tina is really a Buttercup."

Sam looked away, his cheeks heating up as she mentioned Tina. "Really? We're doing this? It was a moment of Senior madness okay? How did you even find out about that?"

"Blaine told Kurt, who lives with Santana, who enjoys stirring the pot more than any person on this planet." They reached the diner, Mercedes sliding into her usual booth. "I can't believe you made out with her."

Sam took a seat opposite Mercedes, his head in his hands as she continued to talk about Tina. It was obvious what she was doing, distracting him from thinking about their placement in the competition. Even knowing what she was doing, it was working. "Moment of senior madness Mercedes. Besides at least I didn't throw a rock through a certain gay guys car because I was in love with him."

Mercedes couldn't help but smile at the memory, so far from that girl she'd been just a few years ago. "That was a long time ago. Kurt was the only available guy in the glee club. Unless you count Puck but I tried that and almost had my hair ripped out by Santana. Besides, he told me he was into Rachel, that's enough to make anyone destroy a car."

Looking over the menu, he couldn't help but smile. Being around Mercedes was easy, it made everything in the world slip away. It was easy to fall back into things as if no time had passed at all. Back to that summer when there were no problems because she made his world brighter. "You ever think how in a few years all of this will be over? We won't be finding ourselves and figuring it all out, we'll be living our lives that we've been mapping out." He watched as she turned to a waitress, ordering them each a slice of the usual.

Seeing her like this, comfortable, with a usual at a local diner, it was like seeing her for the first time. She was practically glowing, more beautiful than ever if that was even possible, not to mention her confidence was through the roof. She was more mature than she'd ever been and he couldn't help but imagine a future with the woman sat before him, even when their futures didn't align.

"Like we won't be competing for solos or stealing each other's boyfriends and girlfriends." He cut into his pie, eating a forkful, instantly satisfied as the taste hit him. It was obvious to him now why Mercedes was a regular here. Other than his grandmas pumpkin pie, he'd never tasted anything like this blueberry pie before. "I don't know what I want to do, or if I'm going to make it as a model or as an artist, but what I do know is whenever I think about my future, you're there."

This wasn't happening right now, he was about to graduate and move to New York, he'd be even further away from her and it'd be even harder for them to be together. "Sam. I feel the same way, but I can't do long distance as it is. Maybe one day but right now my life is crazy. You're going to crush it in New York Sam, but I'm here, it'll be too much."

"Then come with me. Come back to Lima for Graduation and then come to New York. I need a roommate, you can record in Manhattan, or Brooklyn. Have an East Coast vibe to your album. You already have creative control, why not just tell them you have a vision?" He knew it was a long shot as he said it but he knew he'd regret it if he didn't say anything. Whether they won Nationals or not, he wanted to be sure that they had a future together.

"I have some control but I can't drop everything to move to a new city and start over." She reached across the table for his hand, her stomach turning when he flinched away. She didn't want to ruin her chances with him forever, if she turned him down anymore, she would eventually lose her chance. "I can try, talk to them, see what they think. I can't any promises but if I do show up on the East Coast, I will also need a roommate."

The awkward atmosphere soon passed as they finished their pie, continuing to catch up on the things they'd missed with each other in the last few months. They returned to the theatre where the competition was held, meeting back up with the New Directions. She let Sam celebrate with them, returning to the auditorium to take her seat.

From the stage, Sam could see her and Carol. The nerves that had disappeared at the diner were firmly back in place. He was ready, ready to ask Carol onto stage, ready to cheer louder than anyone around him and ready to put that trophy into their trophy case. However ready he'd been, he hadn't been prepared to lose. His heart sunk, eyes fixed to the floor as Throat Explosion accepted their prize. If he looked out to the crowd, he'd see Carol and feel a million times worse. This wasn't how it should have gone.

Seeing the pain on his face as the announcement was made confirmed what she needed to do. As soon as she'd said her goodbyes, she headed to the studio, meeting with her producers and agent. She insisted that the album needed an East Coast, Harlem, Bebop uptown kind of vibe. Somehow, she had convinced them so after a two week vacation back home, she'd embark on a new adventure in New York. The one person she wanted to tell was the one person she knew she couldn't. It'd be better to surprise him; she was sure of that.

Being back home with the rest of the glee club was bringing back way too many old feelings. Between hiding the truth about her future from Sam and competing with Rachel in yet another Diva off, she found herself reverting back to the diva she'd been before. Even after she and Rachel had decided to bury the hatchet, a small part of her still felt that competitive spirit, wanted confirmation that she was the best. Mr Schue had said it was a tie, but it didn't take a math genius to know there was an odd number of people voting in that choir room.

After Holly's performance, she found herself holding back, waiting until everybody left before looking over the sheets of paper resting on the piano. She didn't notice him standing in the doorway as she did the quick tally in her head. Not noticing him still as she did a recount and he moved into the room towards her. It wasn't until he cleared his throat that her attention was lifted from the paper, eyes finding his instantly.

When she looked up, Sam noticed the tears in her eyes, not hesitating to swoop in close and pull her into a hug. He didn't need to ask what was wrong, knowing that she wouldn't want to say it out loud. Gently, he ran a hand over her back, doing what he could to comfort her.

"I just thought for once I would beat her. I know that it's stupid, I'm doing amazing. I just thought I'd done enough, or that Mr Schue told us it was a tie for her sake." Mercedes clung tightly to Sam, not wanting him to see her cry, especially not over something so pathetic and childish. Rachel didn't need the win, not that Mercedes necessarily needed it either, just that of the two of them, only one had ever really felt like a winner in that choir room.

"If it helps, I voted for you." It wasn't the most comforting thing he could think to say, but he wanted to reassure her. "In this room and out in that world, you're the biggest and brightest star. It doesn't matter about the solos you got, or roles you didn't get, the world is going to know your name."

All he wanted to do was show her what a star she was, put her name back in lights to remind her of how far she'd come but, for now, he'd settle for holding her. So what if he skipped third period? He'd checked out long before now anyway. "You wanna go get pie? Or we could sneak into the gym, hide under the bleachers and make out a little?" He could feel her shoulders relaxing, hear her muffled laughter against his chest.

"You have class, plus I think Mr Schue wants us original glee kids in the auditorium." Reluctantly, she pulled back, wiping her tears away. "I should've challenged her to Beyoncé. That is the one thing her skinny white ass couldn't pull off." She said over her shoulder as she walked out of the choir room.

Sam grabbed her purse for her before following her out of the room, slipping his hand into hers on instinct. "I can interrogate everyone, all the new glee kids are the traitors I'm sure of it, them or Tina."

"You really don't have to do that Sam. I don't even care about the competition, you're right, I'm a star." She nudged up against him, stopping once they got to the auditorium entrance. She moved in front of him, taking his other hand in hers. "This is my stop. I can bring pie over after your shift later?"

Sam nodded, squeezing her hands gently. Pie at home with Mercedes sounded like a perfect plan, especially after a Thursday at work. "Sounds good. I'll see you tonight." Without a thought, he leaned down, kissing her cheek before turning on his heels to walk back to class. "Love you Mercy." Looking over his shoulder he sent a grin her way, the expression staying on his face for the rest of the day.

After his shift at the Pizza Palace, he picked her up in his pickup truck, taking her back to his place. They spent the night watching movies, Mercedes falling asleep midway through the second movie in their Avengers marathon. He didn't have the heart to wake her, which is why the next morning they turned up at school together, receiving some questioning looks from Artie and Tina. They made their way over to the two, Sam taking Mercedes' hand as they walked. "Last night was fun."

"What are you doing Sam? You want people to think we did the unthinkable last night?" Sam looked down at her with a smirk on his face, shrugging his shoulders. It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if their friends thought they were together again. "Don't answer that."

Artie looked over at the two of them, his eyes focusing on their joined hands. "Hey guys, what's with the hands?"

Mercedes pulled her hand from Sam's grasp, rolling her eyes at the question. "Nothing. Sam here seems to think if he keeps holding my hand I'm going to drop everything I've built in LA and dreamily follow him to the East Coast. You know since we had one summer fling two years ago."

Artie and Tina shared a look, Tina rolling her eyes at Mercedes response. For a smart girl, she was completely oblivious to just how in love with her the big blonde dope was. "Right. Just a summer fling. Although you should come to the East Coast with us. Can you imagine it?"

Mercedes and Sam watched as Tina seemed to zone out, not entirely sure what the girl was imagining. "We should go, I promised Mr Schue I'd get the choir room packed up."

"And me and Kurt have got our own little project going on." Mercedes walked up the steps to the entrance of the school, Sam following along right behind her, leaving Artie and Tina alone again.

"And then Mercedes will be in the doorway because she did get off the plane." Tina looked around as she spoke, believing everyone had had the same daydream as she had. "Where did everyone go?"

Artie wheeled along beside her, both heading towards the ramp. "They ran away together to get drunk married in Vegas. You know since we're apparently going to be living in a bad nineties sitcom when we get out of this town."

Before Sam knew it, graduation was happening. His friends surrounding them as they walked the stage to get their diplomas. He'd hugged Tina as she cried, stood beside his friends for photos and relished in the pride he felt about actually managing to graduate. It had been a tough road but he'd struggled through it. When his parents gave him an envelope, he was sceptical, not sure he'd truly deserved the money they'd scraped together as a graduation gift but they'd insisted. It was more than a gift for him scraping through high school, it was an investment in his future, a thank you for the times his paycheck had kept the lights on. He was more than deserving and they were honestly so proud of him.

After the ceremony, he slipped off, finding himself alone in the choir room, pen in his hand as he looked up at the bare whiteboard. He'd slipped into the darkened room once he saw Sue and Mr Schue leave. He stared up at the board, uncapping the pen before beginning to draw. Each member of the glee club that had come and gone, all as the close knit superhero team they were. It was a little rough, whiteboard pens not the best tool for his craft but it was enough for his catharsis. He wanted to leave some kind of mark, if only temporary, a reminder that the glee club had been a part of this room, that he had meant something at some point in his life. He was so wrapped up in his own little world, that he didn't realise he was gaining an audience. One by one, everyone slipped into the room, all having the same idea to sneak in and say their goodbyes.

When his drawing was finished, he turned around, heat rising to his cheeks as his friends all looked to him. "Uh, I uh just, I couldn't see it blank." He didn't need to explain, but he felt like if he didn't he'd just look like a jackass.

"So, the last lesson, is family." He cleared his throat, doing his best impression of Mr Schue as he stepped forward. "Some of you have been here from the start, I haven't but I guess that kind of makes it easier for me to lead this. Not that I prepared a speech or anything." He found her eyes as he took in a deep breath, unsure if he had a right to be doing this. They'd said their piece to Mr Schue but saying goodbye to each other was another thing. When she gave him an encouraging nod, he knew he should go on, show them the leadership he'd failed to give them at Nationals.

"It's about family. The family we choose. To the new kids, even if some of us don't know your names, we're here for you. Keep fighting Sue. Sing in the lunch line, or out in the quad, even in the locker room showers. She may have stopped glee but she can't ban singing."

"Have each other's backs. Being there for each other, even if you aren't on the same team, that's what matters." Sam smiled to Quinn as she spoke up, thinking back to the time they'd shared, how perfect things could have been between them in another life. She returned his smile, averting her gaze soon after to look around the room.

"We're a family. So we have each other's backs, and you have the backs of everyone on this board." He gestured behind himself with his pen, unsure how to truly get his point across. He didn't want the rest of the glee kids to fade into nothing now the club was gone. He didn't want to lose the friends he'd made, to break up the family. "So if Marley needs help with signwriting, Mercedes will answer her phone to help, probably be on her doorstep in a few hours with a rhyming dictionary. When Rachel wins her first Tony, we'll all be there, watching, even if we aren't together."

"And you better all be watching when I win multiple Grammy's for my debut album." Mercedes looked around the room at them all, giving them a look that dared them to defy her.

"I want a feature on that album Wheezy. My hit original song Trouty Mouth is totally what you're missing for that sexy jazz vibe." Even Sam had to laugh at that, the memory of the original song entwined in the fabric of the choir room.

"Sure. The point is family sticks together. That's my lesson. We all stick together no matter how far apart. Deal?" He waited for confirmation from everyone before reaching a hand in front of him. "One last show circle for old times." Even in the mass of hands, he could feel hers on top of his, smiling to her as he led them in a chant of Amazing. There was some hugging and some tears before everyone departed, going their separate ways once again.

Mercedes hung back, looking over Sam's drawing, seeing everyone in superhero style. From the original glee crew to the new, even Rory and Joe. It was pretty incredible, even knowing the skill he possessed. "Your lesson needed some work, but I gotta admit, you make one sexy teacher." She smiled back at him before returning her attention to the whiteboard.

He knew this was his final chance, the last time they'd be in a room together for some time and he couldn't let it slip through his fingers. They weren't over, no matter how much she insisted long distance didn't work for them, they still found themselves together, constantly flirting or entwined in some way. He stepped forward, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind. He rested his chin on her shoulder, making sure she had a chance to step away, to end his intimate embrace if she wanted to. When she didn't, he pressed his lips to the base of her neck, holding her towards his chest. "Mercedes. I'm in. I'm all in with us. Long distance or not." He whispered the words against her skin, too scared to say them any louder. If she turned him down yet again, that was it so saying it any louder, it meant his heart was ready to be stepped on. "I'll come to LA, or I can stay in Lima, I want this to work with you without you sacrificing anything for me."

Mercedes covered his hands with her own, leaning into his kisses, glad she had decided to hang back. "Sam I want this to work too. I was going to wait but, I can't." She did what she could to turn in his arms, feeling Sam reluctantly pull away, wanting to face him for this. She grabbed an envelope from her purse, handing it over to him. "Your graduation gift."

Sam looked down at the envelope, already unsure if he could accept a gift from her. He carefully opened the packaging, frowning as a small silver key slipped out into his hand. "I don't get it. I mean I don't think a key to your apartment is the best graduation present if I'm going to be in Bushwick."

"Brooklyn. It's a key to my place in Brooklyn. I won't be there all the time, but my album needs an uptown, Harlem, bebop kinda vibe. That's what I told the suckers at the record company. I'm giving you a key so you can take care of the place when I'm out of town, in LA, and I suppose, it wouldn't be the worst thing if you stuck around when I'm in town, maybe even move in?"

Sam ran his thumb over the key, trying to fight the grin spreading across his face. Today wasn't supposed to be like this. It was supposed to be about finality, he was supposed to be crying because it was all over. Instead, his future was set, Mercedes would be around in New York, she was giving him a key, a key to their future together. "And what about this?" He gestured between the two of them, rocking back and forth on his heels innocently. "The crazy sexual chemistry between the two of us?"

Mercedes rolled her eyes, knowing she should probably refuse, keep focusing on herself, on her career, but if she was honest with herself, she hadn't truly been focusing on herself ever since Mr Schue's failed wedding. "Will you just come over here and kiss me already?"

Sam grinned, closing the distance between them, leaning down to press his lips to hers. It wasn't the first kiss they'd shared in the last year, but it meant the most to him. It was a promise to her, his promise that no matter what he loved her, that she was his promise of their future together. Whatever happened from here didn't matter. They had this moment right now and their whole lives ahead of them. Sam pulled back from the kiss slowly, his lips finding her skin, peppering kisses over her cheek and her neck, his arms resting loosely around her waist.

"I'm not going to stop now. I have you now. I'm not letting you go." He spoke between kisses, lips turning up against her skin as her sweet laughter filled the room. He could see she was on her tiptoes, reaching up herself to catch his lips with her own. "Are you staying for a while?"

Mercedes shook her head, her hands reaching up to play with the end of his tie, avoiding his eyes. She knew if she looked into his eyes, she'd be drawn in, convinced to stay in Lima until he left for New York. "A few days but then I have to go back to LA for a while. I'll visit over the summer, and once you're in New York, I'll be there. I promise."

Sam took her hands, keeping them stopping her from her distraction. "I love you. I really love you."

Mercedes looked up from the floor, getting back onto her toes again to kiss his cheek. "I love you too you big goofball."

Sam walked towards the door, hand in hand with her, taking one last look around the choir room as they stood in the doorway. They walked down the corridor, noticing someone walking into the choir room after him but he didn't take notice of who. "You want to come over? Mom is making her famous chicken alfredo."

"I'd like that." Mercedes couldn't help but smile as Sam wrapped an arm around her shoulders, meeting up with his family outside the school. Sam let his parents know that Mercedes was staying for dinner, sticking his tongue out at his siblings when they groaned in disgust.

"And we're going to cuddle tight, and kiss all the way through dinner, pick out a mushy movie to watch after. Mercedes is going back home in a couple of days so I'm not going to let her out of my sight."

That was a promise that he kept until Mercedes left for LA, the two of them staying up in his room. Sam remained a perfect gentleman, content for the time being just laying together, watching movies, staying close the entire time. Occasionally he pulled out his sketchbook, absently scratching at the page as Mercedes dozed off beside him. It was a perfect couple of days. He may not have been able to afford some fancy dinner like he'd had on his first date with Quinn or get her a cat as he'd done for Brittany, but he didn't need all of that. All they needed was each other.

When he took her to the airport, it wasn't like the other times. There was a promise between them as his lips pressed to hers, tears in both of her eyes as she held him tightly. In a few more weeks they'd be together again, that's what mattered. For once, their goodbyes weren't final and for Sam, every goodbye from that moment on would be temporary.


End file.
